61% of Canadians are annoyed by online ads: What should marketers do next?
61% of Canadians are tired of online ads; DOOH is perceived as more trustworthy and helps marketers expand touchpoints, refine targeting, and measure performance.
From email inboxes and social media to search engines and various apps, advertising is present in almost every online experience. It is no surprise that users are becoming “fatigued.” Research by Vistar Media, in partnership with Angus Reid, reveals that 61% of Canadians find online advertising annoying, about 4 in 10 feel overwhelmed, and only 7% are genuinely interested.
If the audience has already turned away, is simply adding another impression the right solution?
Look beyond “who to reach”
Digital advertising offers scale, precision, and clear performance data. However, impressive metrics on a dashboard do not necessarily equate to genuine attention. The environment in which a customer encounters a message significantly influences how they perceive it. In Canada, 50% of people trust out-of-home (OOH) advertising, compared to only 12% for online and social media ads. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) combines the broad reach of traditional billboards with the flexibility and precision of digital advertising.
Consider the entire media mix
The journey from initial attention to final action is rarely a straight line: a consumer might spot a brand while commuting, search for it later, encounter it again on social media, and only then make a purchase. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the cumulative impact of the entire media plan, rather than focusing on individual impressions.
Four planning approaches to capture attention
- 1. Expand touchpoints: Incorporate DOOH to reach users in environments where “ad fatigue” is less prevalent, such as train stations, airports, or retail stores.
- 2. Broaden audience strategy: Leverage data on behavior, interests, and purchase intent to select the most relevant screen locations.
- 3. Utilize contextually relevant content: Tailor messages based on location, time of day, weather conditions, or specific events.
- 4. Connecting exposure to outcomes: 39% of Canadians have taken action after seeing an out-of-home (OOH) advertisement, with 22% searching for the brand online. Effectiveness can be measured through brand awareness, purchase intent, and foot traffic to stores.
Conclusion
Audiences have shown us that online advertising can feel overwhelming. For marketers, the lesson is not to stop appearing altogether, but to be more deliberate about where and how they show up. This means looking beyond mere frequency—it requires building a media strategy that offers people various ways to encounter your brand, across channels, environments, and moments that each serve a clear, purposeful objective.
Source: vistarmedia.com
